Punkified Jewelry

Eddie Borgo, fashion's underground jeweler, is about to hit it big

Eddie Borgo, whose subversive, punkified jewelry has been a hit with downtown fashion insiders for the past five years, is about to cause quite a riot. Not only did he collaborate for spring with Phillip Lim (on tribal African–inspired glass epoxy bib necklaces), Camilla Staerk (sterling silver fern bracelets), Jen Kao (traditional Japanese karada-knot bondage cuffs), Marchesa (metalwork for an evening gown with the help of his friend, jeweler Pamela Love), and Frank Tell (corset belts), but the 30-year-old is also launching a signature line. "I'm fascinated by how people differentiate themselves through adornment," says Borgo, who studied the history of art and costume at Hunter College in New York City before experimenting with graphic chain necklaces for his friends. Drawn to basic circular shapes and hard angles, the designer frequently studies the work of sculptors such as Richard Serra and Ray Howlett for inspiration, as well as the 1940s wearable art movement led by Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson. "Ultimately, everything I do can be broken down into those geometric foundations," he says. As for his own haute-tough collection, which consists of aluminum and quartz spikes offset with freshwater pearls and silk ribbons, Borgo was inspired by his love for War Boy, Kief Hillsbery's novel about San Francisco's 1990s rock and skateboard scene; Siouxsie Sioux; and Depeche Mode. Next up for the prolific New Yorker? "Maybe white marble," he says. "Nothing is more beautiful than time-polished material."

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